The Traditions of Christmas Greenery

Each year during the festive season, our homes get decorated with all manner of holiday greenery. Whether it be holly and ivy, Christmas trees of fir or spruce, Mistletoe balls and sprigs, or other forms of holiday greenery, our homes seem to always get the extra decor.

What is the Story behind Christmas Greenery?

Did you know that when we trim your tree, and deck the halls, hang mistletoe for kisses, or adorn our mantles, we are drawing from folk lore traditions handed down from the early Druids, Romans and Christians?

Many of these early traditions were founded because the settlers believed in magical powers of the decorative elements. Lucky for us, the magic lives on in the beauty and aroma of these greens, even if the meaning has been lost.

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is perhaps the best known form of greenery, but is a relatively recent addition to the decorative tradition. The ancients thought of evergreens as the symbol of life since it was always green, even in the midst of winter.

Today, Christmas trees are a prominent fixture in many homes, and the boughs of ever greens are also made into wreaths, garlands and mantle decorations, as well as inserted into all manner of festive decorations.

Mistletoe – the Kissing Plant

Many homes have sprigs of Mistletoe hanging in their homes as a means of encouraging people to kiss under it. This practice dates back to Druid days when the parasite plant was considered sacred and another symbol of life.

Kissing balls were also very prominent in 17th century Victorian times and all still used today. To read more about the history of mistletoe, please see this article.

The Holly and The Ivy

The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown Of all the trees that are in the wood The holly bears the crown.

So go the first few lines of the famous Christmas carol. Holly has long been revered for its mysterious powers. From ancient times, many primitive people would hang branches of holly above their doorways to entice woodland spirits into their homes during the winter solstice.

In later days, Christians started to embrace the lovely plant, and called it “holy” believing it emerged from Jesus’ footsteps as he walked the earth preaching the gospel.

And later still, the English believed that whoever brought holly into the house first would “wear the pants in the house that year.;” (I have to remember to go get some holly soon!)

Rosemary

Being a cook, the tradition of using rosemary as a decor accent during the holidays appeals to me. This idea goes back to the early days and appears to be connected to the Virgin Mary. It was thought that rosemary would protect your from evil spirits. Rosemary is also called the friendship plant. It was a common garnish on a boar’s head that the rich ate a their main meal during the middle ages.

The art of hanging Christmas wreaths appears to have originated from the Romans who hung wreaths on their doors as a sign of victory and also to show their status in society.

Christmas wreaths as used according to the Catholic tradition had four candles – Three purple, symbolizing penance, and expectation, and one pink to represent the coming joy. On each of the 4 Sundays preceding Christmas day the 4 candles that were lit each Friday of Advent at dinner along with a prayer.

Pagan wreaths were also evergreen circles consisting of four candles. But these candles represented the elements of Earth, wind, fire, and water. Their wreaths were used in rituals to ensure the continuance of the circle of life.

One interesting fact about early wreaths is that they were used as we use house numbers. In the early days in Europe, people would identify their home by having a wreath with specific flowers, often grown by the owner themselves.

How do you use greenery in your home during the holidays? Please leave your comments below.

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Hi! I am Carol and I love to garden and cook (with a bit of DIY thrown in for fun.)
I come from a long line of gardeners and have always loved to experiment with food and recipes.
Join me as I cook and garden my way through life.

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